Paul

Paul's story is one of the most dramatic turnarounds in history. Originally named Saul, he was a devout Jewish Pharisee from Tarsus (modern-day Turkey) who was absolutely zealous about stamping out the early Christian movement. He was present at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and actively went door to door arresting believers. He was on his way to Damascus to round up more Christians when everything changed.

A blinding light knocked him to the ground, and he heard a voice say, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" It was Jesus. Saul was literally blinded for three days, until a Christian named Ananias (who was understandably terrified to go near him) came and prayed for his healing. From that moment, the man who had been Christianity's biggest enemy became its most effective advocate.

Paul — as he came to be known — went on three major missionary journeys across the Roman Empire, planting churches in cities throughout modern-day Turkey, Greece, and beyond. He preached in synagogues, marketplaces, and even on Mars Hill in Athens, where he quoted Greek poets to make his case for Jesus. He was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, imprisoned multiple times, and bitten by a venomous snake. The guy just kept going.

But Paul's biggest legacy might be his letters. He wrote at least thirteen of the New Testament's twenty-seven books — Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. These letters are the backbone of Christian theology. Concepts like justification by faith, the body of Christ as a metaphor for the church, and the famous love chapter (1 Corinthians 13) all come from Paul.

He was eventually arrested in Jerusalem, appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen, and was taken to Rome. Tradition holds that he was beheaded under Emperor Nero around 64-67 AD. Paul took a message that started in a small corner of the Jewish world and made it a global movement. His intellectual rigor, personal courage, and theological depth made Christianity what it is today. Love him or wrestle with him, you can't ignore him.